Bite-block transfer instrument



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,105

v F. s. HAWKSWORTH BITE BLOCK TRANSFER INSTRUIENT Filed July 24. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1"lwliilllllllllilllhi gum-14km Feb; 26, 1929.

F. G. HAWKSWORTH am: BLOCK TRANSFER xus'muuau'r Filed July 24, 19 26 3 Sheets-Sheet ONMLKJ HGFEDCBA attorney I Feb. 26, 1929. I

v F. G. HAWKSWORTH BITE BLOCK TRANSFER zusrauuzm Filed July 24, 1926 s Sh ets-Shet 3 Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK G. HAVVKSXVORTH, OE WESTMONT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. S. WHITE 7 DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

PATENT OFFICE.

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BITE-BLOCK TRANSFER INSTRUMENT.

Application filed July 24,

My invention relates particularly to de vices employed in taking impressions of the human mandible or maxillee, and is especially directed to that class of such devices that are arranged to be cooperatively associated with dental articulators in producing artificial dentures for replacing the natural teeth of the dental arch that have been extracted.

In the making of artificial dentures it has been common practice for the operator to take a soft wax impression as a mould or matrix to form a plaster cast simulating the gum ridges of the dental arch of'said patient, and to utilize said plaster casts to form biteplates of a relatively hard wax. i

The bite-plates thus formed are built up with soft wax to form bite-rims and placed in the mouth of the patient, who bites to the proper relative position of the gums. The bite-blocks thus formed are then removed from the mouth and the upper one mounted on the prongs of a bite-fork or holder and said bite-blocks again placed in the patients mouth with the tang of the bitefork or holder projecting therefrom between the patients lips T'Vliile said bite-blocks are thus engaged in the mouth, a device commonly designated as a face-bow and comprising a U-shaped frame is so adjusted to the patients face that the free extremities of said frame are engaged with the patients condyles and the intermediate or medial region comprising-the transverse bar of the bow is rigidly connected in clamped relation with the projecting tang of the bite-fork or holder in the definite relation thus determined. V

TVhilethus positioned, a T-shaped guide or alining device, termed a T or T-piece is mounted upon said face-bow with its stem extended substantially horizontal, crossing the condyle in position to bisect the condylar angle of the naso-optic-condylar' triangle included in the space between the junction of the lower edge or ala of-the nose with the face, the outer canthus of the eye, and the condyle; the head of said T being disposed vertically and clamped to the transverse bar of the facebow. I j

The denture model-holding structure thus assembled, with the bite-block attached, may be removed from the patient and mounted on 1926. Serial No. 124,647.

the articulator with the condyle engaging terminals of the face-bow engaging the lat erally projecting condylar trunnions of said articulator, the head of the T being of such length that when rested upon the surface upon which the articulator rests, the stem will be disposed substantially horizontal and serve as a guide for adjusting the upper model holder or wing of the articulator horizontally parallel therewith.

With the assembled structure thus described, it is possible to transfer the denture models to and from the articulator or patient as often as desired, so long,'h0wever, as the relative adjustment of the associated parts of said assembled structure remainsundisturbed, therefore, it will be obvious that if teeth are to be set up upon the denture models at a laboratory remote from the place of taking the impressions, it will be necessary to transmit the entire assembled structure with said models, and to assume the natural risks of maladjustments in transit.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a dental model mounting and bite-block transfer device that is so constructed and arranged that its various adjustments may be so determined and recorded as to facilitate its readjustment, or said adjustments may beaccurately duplicated upon another similarly constructed model mounting and bite-block transfer device, so that bite-blocks may be transmitted without the assembled structure upon which they were originally set, and may be mounted upon another such structure assembled in accordance with a record taken from the originally assembled structure.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a dental model mounting and bite-block transfer device with means tending to so restrict the relatlve movements of the associated parts as to maintain said parts in a.

predetermined definite relation .while being are provided with such position determiningmeans as to facilitate the definite adjustment of said parts, the notation of a record of the relative positions of said parts, and the accurate readjustment of said parts according to said record or the setting up of other devices to duplicate the relative positions of the parts as recorded.

The preferred form of my invention as hereinafter described comprises in combina tion, a face-bow having its intermediate region, comprising its transverse bar,3f011ned polygonal and having graduations scribed thereon; a slide-block forming a clamp mounted for lateral adjustment thereon with respect to said face-bow proper, and arranged to receive and support a bite-fork or holder mounted for longitudinal adjustment therein and having a slot arranged to be engaged by a projection or key in said slide-block or clamp to prevent its relative rotation, said bite-fork or holder having graduations on its tang to indicate the relative positions of said parts; and a T having a universal connection with said face-bow and arranged to be clamped thereto in position to aline the associated parts with respect to graduations scribed thereon.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a greatly reduced side elevational View of the assembled structure embodying my invention as applied to the face of an individual or patient, and includes the face-bow, the bite-fork or holder, and the ll-piece in properly adjusted relative position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational View of the as sembled structure shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a well known type of articulator; 3 is a plan view of said assembled structure detached from the articulator; Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View of the bite-fork or holder and the clamp by which it is attached to the face-bow, taken on the line l4@ in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sec tional view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 3, showing the clamp and a fragment of the tang of the bite-fork in elevation for con venience of illustration; Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the T-piece shown'in Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 7 is a plan View of a modification of my invention as applied to the face-bow; Fig. 8 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the modified structure taken on the line 88 in Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 in Fig. 7, showing a fragment of the tang of the bite-fork or holder and its clamp in side elevation for convenience of illustration; and Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but showing a modification of the collar for alining said clamp and said bite-fork with respect to the facebow.

In said figures, the face-bow, which as shown is tl-shaped, comprises the transverse bar 1 and the relatively parallel side bars 2 and 3 respectively terminating in the terminal fittings 4 and 5 comprising the tubular axially alined split threaded nipples 6 and 7, slightly tapered so as to be constricted by the knurled thumb nuts 8 and 9 to clamp the condyle pins 10 and 11 in adjusted position to engage the enlarged opposed terminal condylar abutments 12 and 13 of said pins with the condyle regions 15 of the patients face, as shown in Fig. 1.

The medial region 16 of the transverse bar 1 of the face-bow, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is of polygonal configuration, having the flat surfaces 17, 18, 19 and 20. Mounted upon this polygonal medial region 16 for lateral adjustment with respect to the facebow is the bite-fork supporting clamp comprising the hollow slide-block body 22 having therein the core'forming an abute-ment 23 secured by the pin 2% and providing a channel 25 arranged to engage the flat sides 18, 19 and 20 of the medial region 16 of the face-bow, which extends therethrough, as best shown in Fig. 4, to prevent relative rotation of said slide-block on said bar, said face-bow being secured in adjusted position therein by the winged screw or plug 26 which is in threaded engagement with the bore of said body 22, and arranged to bear against the flat surface 17, so, as will be readily seen, said clamp may be adjusted along the medial region 16, and be clamped thereto in any desired position with respect to the central longitudinal plane of the face-bow, but is prevented from any tendency to rotate thereon.

The medial region of the arch-bow is provided with a series of graduations 27 which are associated with numerical indicia by which the position of the clamp comprising 7 the clamp 22 is shown disposed exactly on the center, but may be adjusted right or left to register its pointer 28 with any of said graduations 27 Said clamp 22 is arranged to receive the tang 30 of the bite-fork or holder 31, which is in the form of a trident, and which has the semicircular blade 32 provided with the short centrally projected tine 33, arranged to be forced into and hold the bite-block 35, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The tang 30 of the bite-fork is provided with the slot 36 into which the tongue 37 depending from the core or abutment 23 is extended to prevent rotation of said tang 30 in the clamp 22, and said tang is arranged to be secured in said clamp in any desired longitudinal'position of adjustment by the clamp-block '39, which is loosely mounted within the body of said clamp 22 by rotation of the set screw 40 having the handle 41 by which it is rotated, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The tang 30 of the bite-fork or holder 31 is provided with a series of graduations 42 which are associated with numerical indicia, whereby the longitudinal adjustment of the bite-fork with respect to the pointer 43 on the clamp 22, may be indicated and recorded, and reset or adjusted in accordance with the position of the bite-bl0ck in the mouth of the patient. r

The face-bow is provided with a second clamp 45 which is mounted for rotary adjustment upon the cylindrical portion of the transverse bar 1 of said face-bow, adjacent to one end of the polygonal medial region of said bar 1, and comprises the set screw 46 by which it is clamped in adjusted position on said transverse bar 1. This clamp is provided with the winged screw-plug 47 by which it is adjustably clamped to the head 50 of the T-piece whose stem 51' rests upon the condyle pin 11 and is so adjusted that it bisects the condylar angle of the nasos optic-condylar triangle which is included in the space between the junction of the lower edge or ala of the nose with the face, as indicated by the dot 52, in Fig. 1; the outer canthus of the eye, as indicated by the dot 53 in said figure; and the condyle at the region 15, thereon indicated.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the head 50 of the T-piece serves as a standard, and is provided with a series of graduations 55 which are so cooperative with the pointer 56 on the clamp 45 that theposition of the clamp 45 with respect to the stem 51, and the consequent angleoi inclination of the facebow may be accurately determined, recorded and readjusted. v

Having adjusted the face-bow, bite-fork or holder, and T-piece to the positions peculiar to the patient, as shown in Fig. 1, the assembled structure may be removed from said patient and applied to the articulator shown in Fig. 2, which is a well known type of articulator, and comprises the base or lower denture model mounting wing 60, condyle standards '61, and the movable or upper denture model mounting wing 62,

which is provided withtrunnions 63 upon which it may rotate to open and close, and said trunnions may slide in the slot 64 to permit a side to side movement of said Wing, which may be limited by theset screws 65 and 66, as will be obvious.

While the structure thus described is mounted on the articulator with the biteblock 35 disposed between the wings 60 and 62 of the articulator, the upper jaw model may be formed of plastic material suitable for thepurpose, and while in-a plastic state the upper wing 62, with the aw model holder plate 71 attached thereto, may be dropped or oscillated on to theplastic jaw model 7 0, so that thewing 62 will occupy a position substantially parallel with the horizontal stem 51 of the T-piece.

Having thus formed the upper jaw model 70, the assembled structure together with the bite-block 35, upper jaw model 7 0, and wing 62 may be raised from the position shown in Fig. 2, and the lower jaw model 75 built up of the plastic material of which the jaw model 70 is composed, upon thejaw model holder plate 76 which is mounted on the lower wing 60. Then with the lower biteblock 73 in position with respect to the upper bite-block 35, the assembled structure and the parts attached may be brought down so that the lower bite-block 7 3 rests upon the plastic lower jaw model 7 5, as shown.

In the modified form of my invention as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the face-bow 80 has the transverseibar 81 which is cylindrical throughout its extent, but which is provided with the relatively spaced stationary collars 82 and 83, between which the medial region of said bar is provided with graduations 84, which are associated with numerical indicia notated from the central vertical plane of the face-bow laterally outward toward the respective collars 82 and 83.

Rotatably mounted on the medial region of the transverse bar 81 between the collars 82and 83 is the slide-block comprising the clamp 85 which carries the bite-fork 86 having its tang 87 extended through said clamp and arranged to be engaged therewith by the set screw 88, said clamp also being arranged to be engaged in rigid relation with the transverse bar 81 by the winged screwplug 89, to not only adjustably secure said clamp 85 in adjustable relation with respect to thelength of said bar, but adjustable also in rotatable relation thereto. (Thus, in this form of my invention the bite-fork may be tipped up or down with respect to the side bars 90 and 91 of said face-bow 80.

Associated with the clamp 85 and mounted to both slide therewith on the transverse bar 81 laterally with respect to the central 7 plane of the face-bow, and to rotate thereon, is the collar 92, which is provided with the set screw 93 by which it may be engaged in any adjusted position on the transverse bar 81. i

The collar 92 is provided on its side wall with the scribe line 94 which may be brought into registry with the scribe line 95 extended longitudinally along the transverse bar 81 between the collars 82 and 83 to properly position said collar 92 with respect to the bar 81. Said collar 92 is also provided with a series of graduations 96 on its cylindrical surface with any one of which the pointer 97 on the clamp 85 may register when the EII iin the tang 87 of the fork 86, and the body of the clamp is provided with the pointer 102 arranged to register with the graduations 103 on said tang.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 10, the clamp 105 is mounted on the transverse bar 106 of a face-bow, such asshown in Fig. 7, and said clamp 105 has associated with it the slidable collar 107, which is provided with a set screw 108 having an extended stud 109 arranged to enter a longitudinal groove 110 in the side of the transverse bar 106, so that while the clamp 105 may be rotated on said bar 106 and shifted axially thereon, the collar 107 may follow the axial movement of the clamp 105 but will be restrained from rotation on the bar 106.

My invention is advantageous in that the relative positions of the different parts of the assembled structure may be accurately recorded so that, having taken the bite and assembled the structure, as shown in Fig. 1, the operator may transfer the biteblocks from the patient to the articulator and to his satisfaction mount the bite-blocks in position to be oriented thereon. He may then make a record of the relative position of the separately adjustable parts of the assembled structure and retain all except the bite-plates which he may send to a mechanical operative, together with the record thus taken of the relative position of the parts, and said mechanical operative may then assemble similar parts in accord ance with the record transmitted, and mount the bite-blocks thereon and similarly build up the models on an articulator as originally formed and then proceed to finish the case with such absolute accuracy that the finished dentures may be returned to the operator who took the bite and who may fit the dentures in the patients mouth.

Although I have described the face-bow as being of a U-shaped configuration, it may be otherwise formed, so long as it has the transverse bar and means for supporting said bar with respect to the condyles of the patient in such position as to carry the biteforlr, and although I have described the alining device as a T or T-piece, it is obvious that is might be of L-shaped formation, or it might be otherwise formed, the gist of the invention, however, being the means by which the relative position of the parts may be recorded so thatsaid parts may be readjusted or duplicated, and therefore, I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious tha various modifications may be made the-rein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the ap-c pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combination with a face-bow having a transverse bar, of a clamp restrained from rota-c tion but adjustable axially on said bar in transverse relation to the axial plane of said face-bow, means on said bar arranged to de termine the position of adjustment of said clamp, and a bite-block holder adjustably carried by said clamp and having means arranged to determine its position of adjust ment with respect thereto, a clamp free to, rotate on said bar, and an alining device comprising a vertical standard upon which said free clamp may be adjusted up and down, and a bar extended rearwardly and cooperative with the free axial terminals of said face-bow whereby the angle 0f'inclination of the face-bow with respect to the horizontal plane may be varied. V

2. In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combination with a face-bow having a transverse bar, of a clamp restrained from rotation but adjustable axially on said bar in transverse relation to the axial plane of said face-bow, means on said bar arranged to determine the position of adjustment of said clamp, a bite-block holder adjustably carried by said clamp and having means arranged to determine its position of adjustment with respect thereto, and, separate means on said clamp arranged to independently secure said bar and holder thereto, and an alining device connected with said face-, bow arranged to variably determine its an- 7 gle of inclination.

3. In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combination'with a face-bow having a trans verse bar, of a clamp restrained from rotation but adjustable axially on said bar in transverse relation to the axial plane of said facebow, means on said bar arranged to, de termine the position of adjustment of said clamp, a bite-block holder adjustably carried by said clamp and having means arranged to determine its position of adjustment with respect thereto, a second clamp mounted on said bar, and an alining device having a standard upon which said clamp may be adjusted up and down to vary the angle of inclination of said face-bow with respect to a horizontal plane.

4; In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combinationwith a face-bow having a transverse bar, of a clamp restrained'from rotation but adjustable axially-on said bar in transverse relation to the axial plane of said of inclination of said face-bow with respect face-bow, means on said bar arranged to deto a horizontal plane, and means on said termine the position of adjustment of said standard arranged to determine the position clamp, a bite-block holder adjustably carof said clamp and the consequent inclination 5 ried by said clamp and having means arof said face-bow. 15 ranged to determine its position of adjust- In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set ment with respect thereto, a second clamp my hand this twenty third day of July, mounted on said bar, analining device hav- A. D., 1926. ing a standard upon which said clamp may 10 be adjusted up and down to vary the angle FRANK G. HAWKSWORTH.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N0.- 1,703,105. Granted February 26, 1929, to

FRANK G. HAWKSWORTH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, after iine 16, insert the following as claims 5 and 6.

5. In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combination with a face-bow having a transverse bar of means restrained from rotation but adjustabie axially on said bar in transverse relation to the axial plane of said face-bow, graduations on said bar arranged to determine the position of adjustment of said means, a bite-block holder adjustably carried by said means and having graduations arranged to determine its position of adjustment with respect thereto, means free to rotate on said bar, and an alining device comprising a vertical standard upon which said free means may be adjusted up and down, and a bar extended rearwardly and cooperative with the free axial terminals of said face-bow whereby the angle of inclination of the face-bow with respect to the horizontal plane may be varied.

6. In a bite-block transfer instrument, the combination with a facebow having a transverse bar, of a clamp mounted on said bar, and an alining or positioning device comprising a horizontally disposed stem arranged to rest upon the axial termination of said face-bow, and a vertically disposed standard having graduations, upon which said clamp may be adjusted up and down to vary the angle of inclination of said face-bow, and to accurately determine said inclination;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of July, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

